Positive feed for donning mechanism



Feb. 25, 1964 v J. A. CUGINI 3,121,983

' POSITIVE FEED FOR DONNING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H JOHN A f f im A T TORNE Y Feb. 25, 1964 .1. A. CUGINI POSITIVE FEED FOR DONNING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1962 rlkri INVENTOR. JOHN A. CLJGINI A TTORNE Y United States Patent Ofitice snarese POSETIVE FEED Fill? DQNNHNG MECHANTSM John A. Cugini, Hopedale, Mass assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, ,Massa, a corporation of Maine Filed (let. 5, 1962., er. No. 223,52tl 6 tllaims. (61. 51-53) The present invention relates to a mechanism for impaling empty bobbins on spindles of spinning frames, twisters, or the like and, particularly, to a positive means of individually advancing the bobbins to a donning position.

It is a general object of the invention to provide .a positive donning feed means that is effective in positioning each bobbin in order of succession in donning position after the impaling of the preceding bobbin.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a positive donning feed means which will automatically become inactive in the event a bobbin fails to leave the donning position at the proper time during the donning cycle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

The present invention is applicable to dorfing and donning machine such as that disclosed in patent application Serial No. 152,407 filed November 15, 1961, now Patent No. 3,077,725, and since this patent application may be referred to for a more detailed description of such a machine, it is considered unnecessary at this point to insert herein the details of the general aspects of construction and operation of this unit.

The donning mechanism of this machine utilizes a selfcontained bobbin reservoir which, until the introduction of applicants novel positive bobbin donning feed means, depended wholly upon the force of gravity to advance each individual bobbin to donning position. After the impaling of a bobbin on its respective spindle, the next following bobbin was slid into donning position by the weight of the remaining bobbins within the reservoir pushing against it. Experience has demonstrated that this type of bobbin feed means it not completely effective, for if a particular bobbin is not fully advanced to the donning position, the donning mechanism will automatically cease functioning.

The complete doffing and donning unit is manually advanced on the rail of a spinning frame and the rate of speed at which said unit was advanced has been a controlling factor with regards to the efiiciency of the donning mechanism. if the unit was advanced too rapidly, the flow of bobbins from the reservoir to the donning position would not be rapid enough to coincide with this movement, resulting oftentimes in spindle misses or jamming of the bobbins in the donning mechanism.

Accordingto the invention, the undesirable conditions described above have now been corrected through use of applicants novel positive bobbin donning feed means. This means is interconnected with and adapted to function in conjunction with the donning mechanism and includes a pivotable spring biased pawl member that is caused to swing rearwardly away from spindles being dolled and donned during the actual impaling of a bobbin to engage a bobbin within the reservoir. The return of the donning mechanisms linkage to its initial position after completing its intended function then causes the pawl member to swing forwardly urging the next bobbin to be impaled into donning position. This motion is automatically repeated after the donning of each successive bobbin and in a positive manner it urges individually each bobbin to be impaled to the required position with the donning housing.

The invention will be described in further detail in the following disclosure wherein reference is made to the accompanying figures of drawing, in which:

PEG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the donning mechanism showing the invention applied there to;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the invention showing the manner in which the pawl member engages a bobbin within the bobbin reservoir;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but in front elevation; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of PEG. 1 but showing how the pawl member is caused to urge the bobbins within the reservoir to donning position.

Now referring to the figures of drawings, FIGS. 1 and 4 show that portion of the donning mechanism utilized .to actuate the positive bobbin donning feed means. The donning mechanism includes a donning housing lti having a fan-shaped bobbin reservoir 11 assembled in back of and contiguous with said housing it). A plurality of empty bobbins 12 are adapted to be received into the reservoir Ill. from which they are urged into the confines of the donning housing id and are impaled by the mechanism carried therein individually on a row of spindles supported by a spinning frame, twister, or the like.

The donning housing 1% supports a hammer housing 13 which is vertically movable in a slot 1 4 provided in housing It A spring biased hammer member 15 as sembles in housing 13 and is utilized to force the bobbin from donning position onto a spindle in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

The lower portion of the donning mechanism includes a cam housing 16 which is provided on the upper portion thereof with a pair of lug members 17 (one only shown), BT65. 1 and 4. These lug members are adapted to support pivotally a triple armed lever generally indicated by numeral 18. A first arm 19* extends downwardly into housing 16 and is caused to be actuated by one of the cam members (not shown) carried therein. A second arm 29 of lever 13 extends in a generally forwardly direction and has pivotally attached to the free end thereof a pull down rod 21. The upper end of this pull down rod is fixedly attached to the hammer housing 13 and when it is caused to move in the direction of the indicating arrow depicted in FIG. 1, the spring biased hammer member 1'5 is pulled downwardly into pressing contact with the tip of the bobbin that is in donning position. A horizontally slidable bobbin support 22 protrudes into the donning housing prior to the impaling of the bobbin position therein. The hammer member 15 being in pressingcontact with the tip of the bobbin .causes the butt portion thereof to be forced against the bobbin support member 22. In timed relation with the movement of the complete machine along the rail of a spinning frame, this support member 22. is retracted thus allowing the bobbin to be forced downwardly out of the donning housing It) and at the same time causes it to be impaled upon its respective spindle. The inner end of this support member 22 is pivotally attached to the upper arm of a two armed lever 23 which is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on a suitable bracket member 24 that is attached to the lower portion of the donning mechanisms slide plate 25. The lower arm 26 of this double armed lever 23 extends downwardly into the cam housing 16 and serves as a cam follower which is acted upon by a so-called trigger cam (not shown) to slide the bobbin support member 22 from protruding to retracted position and vice versa in timed relation with the linkages utilized to advance a bobbin to its donning position and to force it therefrom.

The positive bobbin feed means according to the instant invention utilizes a third arm 27 of the triple armed lever 18 to initiate the necessary motion for urging the bobbins within the reservoir 11 to donning position. Arm 27 extends in a generally rearwardly direction and is provided on the outer extremity thereof with a pivotally attached actuating rod 28 which extends in a generally upwardly direction. The upper portion of rod 28 passes through a hole provided in the central portion of a horizontally disposed stud member 29. This stud member is oscillatable and is journaled in the bifurcated portion of a first arm 3t) which forms part of a pivotable bell crank lever generally indicated by numeral 31. A compression spring 32 is adapted to assemble over that portion of the actuating rod 23 which extends above the hole in stud 29 and is retained thereon by means of a nut 33.

A forked mounting bracket 34 is attached to the rear wall of the donning housing ii adjacent to the bobbin reservoir 11 by any suitable means such, for example, as cap screws 35 which seat in and pass through the rear wall of said donning housing. Bracket member 34 supports the hub 36 of the bell crank lever 31 in the bifurcated portion of said bracket by means of a stud 37 passing therethrough. A second arm 38 of this bell crank lever is directed in a generally downwardly direction and is adapted to support on the lowermost end thereof a pawl member 39 which is spring biased in the direction of the bobbin reservoir 11. A torsion type spring 40 encircles the lower portion of the second arm 38 with one end of said spring being attached to the pawl 39 as at 41 and the opposite end thereof attached to the arm member itself.

In operation, a bobbin within the donning housing is made ready for impaling onto its respective spindle by a cam member (not shown) within housing 16 which acts upon arm 19 of the triple armed lever 18 moving the same in a direction to cause the pull down rod 21 to move in the direction of the indicating arrow shown in FIG. 1. With the butt of the bobbin resting on the bobbin support 22, movement of rod 21 in this direction causes the spring biased hammer 15 to be drawn into pressing contact with the bobbin tip. The bobbin support 2-2 is then withdrawn to a retracted position and permits the bobbin to be forced out of the donning housing by the hammer l and onto its respective spindle below and in alignment therewith.

As shown in FIG. 1 movement of the pull down rod 21 in the direction indicated, automatically moves the actuating rod 28 in an upwardly direction because of its connection with the third arm 27 of the triple armed lever 18. Rod 28 being provided with a second nut 42 situated below and in contact with the horizontally disposed stud member 29 in the first arm 30 of the bell crank lever 31, causes the latter to swing in a clockwise are when said rod is forced upwardly.

The spring 40 which influences the pawl 39 is not under enough tension to cause the pawl to move the bobbins as this lever swings in a clockwise direction and simply rides over the shank portions thereof. When the bell crank lever has moved its limit of travel, the pawl swings inwardly placing it in a position shown in FIG. 3 where it will act upon the shank of the bobbin when it is caused to move in the opposite direction.

FIG. 4 shows the above mentioned linkages returned to their initial positions wherein the pull down rod 21 has moved upwardly and the bobbin support 22 has again been slid to a protruding position within the donning housing to support the next bobbin to be donned. The triple armed lever 18 when pushing the pull down rod 21 in an upwardly direction automatically causes the actuating rod 28 to be pulled downwardly moving the bell crank lever in a counterclockwise direction and the pawl member 2% being in contact with a bobbin as shown in PEG. 3, pushes the next bobbin to be impaled into donning position Within housing 1% In the event of a bobbin jam such, for example, as a bobbin failing to be forced out of the donning housing, a safety feature has been incorporated which will not permit the bell crank member to move in an attempt to urge additional bobbins toward donning position. With a condition of this nature, the actuating rod 26 is caused to move downwardly in the regular manner but instead of acting upon the bell crank lever, spring 32 is caused to compress leaving said lever in that position shown in FIG. 1.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. For use in a donning mechanism adapted to impale a supply or" empty bobbins on a row of spindles from a bobbin reservoir carried by said mechanism, said bobbins being arranged at a gradually increasing slope within said reservoir so as to be moved by gravity to a vertical donning position, a positive bobbin donning feed means functioning in conjunction with said donning mechanism for individually urging said bobbins downwardly within said reservoir directly to said donning position.

2. For a bobbin donning mechanism having in combination a reservoir of bobbins in which said bobbins are gravity fed to a donning position, a further means for positively urging said bobbins to said donning position, said further means including a spring biased pawl member interconnected with and adapted to function in conjunction with said donning mechanism.

3. In combintaion with a donning mechanism adapted to impale a supply of empty bobbins on a row of spindles, said bobbins being gravity fed from a bobbin reservoir carried by said mechanism, a positive bobbin donning feed means having a spring biased pawl member adapted to function in conjunction with said donning mechanism for engaging said bobbins within said reservoir and automatically advancing the next bobbin to be donned to don ning position after the preceding bobbin has been impaled.

4. In combination with a donning and dofiing machine adapted to doif full bobbins from a row of spindles and to replace automatically empty bobbins thereon which are gravity fed from a bobbin reservoir carried by said machine, a positive bobbin donning feed means having a spring biased pawl member adapted to function in conjunction with the donning mechanism for individually urging said bobbins within said reservoir to the donning position for impaling the same on said spindles.

5. For a bobbin donning mechanism having in combination a reservoir of bobbins in which said bobbins are gravity fed to a donning position to be impaled on a row of spindles, means functioning in conjunction with said donning mechanism for positively urging said bobbins to said donning position, and a further means adapted to render said first mentioned means inactive in the event one of said bobbins fails to be impaled by said mechanism.

6. For a bobbin donning mechanism having in commechanism, said means comprising a spring member and bination a reservoir of bobbins in which said bobbins are an actuating ml for pivoting Said pawl membermoved by the force of gravity to a donning position to be References Cit d i h fil of hi patent impaled on a row of spindles, a pivotable spring biased UNITED STATES PATENTS pawl member adapted to functlon 1n con unctlon wlth 5 755,450 Carey Mar. 22, 1904 sald donning mechanism for positlvely urging sa1d bob- 1 120 626 Peterson 8 1914 bins individually to said donning position, and means 1:122:417 Peterson 1914 adapted to render said pawl member ineffective in the 1,795,300 Evcichj vitz 10, 1931 event one of said bobbins fails to be impaled by said 3,077,725 Du Buis et a1. Feb. 19, 1963 

2. FOR A BOBBIN DONNING MECHANISM HAVING IN COMBINATION A RESERVOIR OF BOBBINS IN WHICH SAID BOBBINS ARE GRAVITY FED TO A DONNING POSITION, A FURTHER MEANS FOR POSITIVELY URGING SAID BOBBINS TO SAID DONNING POSITION, SAID FURTHER MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING BIASED PAWL MEMBER INTERCONNECTED WITH AND ADAPTED TO FUNCTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID DONNING MECHANISM. 